Detecting Car Paint Layers to Assess a Used Car Purchase
with
Steve Howard
See what to look for in a car's paint job to detect that the car paint has been redone or replaced, uncovering clues about the car's accident history and resale value.
Transcript: Detecting Car Paint Layers to Assess a Used Car Purchase
Hi, I'm Barbara Terry for About.com Autos. Just because a car has had paint work does not necessarily mean it's going to be a problem for you in the future. When shopping for a car, there are a few ways to determine if a car has had prior paint work.Missing Pieces of Car Paint
A body shop will typically tape off a panel before painting on it. To determine this, you'll simply take your finger and run it along the door jamb. If you can feel a ridge, in the industry we call that a tape line. It means that the panel was painted on. You'll want to repeat that process on all the panels, the hood, the 2 front fenders, and of course the deck lid.
Car Paint on the Molding
Another way to determine paint work would be if the body shop got overspray on the molding. Sometimes panels have to be removed and re-mounted. You can tell if the panels have been removed or replaced if the paint on the screws like this one is chipped off.
VIN Plates Missing
Also, all cars have VIN plates like this one on all the panels. If you come across a panel that does not have a VIN plate it may mean that the panel was replaced with an aftermarket one.
Car Paint Caveats
I've owned a ton of cars in the past, some with paint work. And of participated in accidents, causing me to get parts of my cars repaired and painted. Just because a car has paint work I would not be leery of it. And you may be able to get a better deal when purchasing it.
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